🎸 Metal · 1990s

It's On! by Korn (Riff · Distorted) — Guitar Tone

by Korn · riff

The It's On! by Korn guitar tone is built on a Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier Head into Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12 Cabinet, dialed in at gain 9/10, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6.5 (community-researched baseline). Full breakdown below — then adapt every knob to your exact guitar and amp, free.

🎛️ These settings are for the original rig — re-dial them for YOUR amp in 10 seconds. Free, no signup →

Amp settings (0–10)

GAIN

BASS

4.5

MID

6.5

TREBLE

6.5

PRESENCE

REVERB

Community-researched baseline. Your rig is different — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials every knob for your specific guitar, amp and pickups.

How these settings compare

Measured against the 284 metal tones in our researched catalog: Gain 9 sits above the metal average (7.3) — a hotter, more saturated take than most metal tones; mids at 4.5 are right around average (5.2).

Guitar controls

VOLUME

TONE

Original gear

Guitar: Ibanez Universe UV7 (7-string, early 1990s model) · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier Head into Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12 Cabinet

Studio recording, 1998 (Life Is Peachy/Follow the Leader era). Both Munky and Head used Ibanez Universe 7-strings with DiMarzio Blaze pickups. Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier heads and cabs were used for the main riff tones. No evidence of live-only gear or alternate guitars for this section.

Gear used on this tone

🎚️ Mesa/Boogie songs & tones →🎚️ humbucker guitars songs & tones →🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier songs & tones →🎚️ Boss Metal Zone songs & tones →🎚️ Ibanez RG songs & tones →

Don’t own this gear? GuitarToneAdapt re-creates the sound on the rig you actually have.

Pickups

Bridge pickup

Signal chain

Ibanez Universe UV7 (7-string, early 1990s model) → Boss MT-2 Metal Zone → Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier Head into Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12 Cabinet

Effects

distortion, reverb

Amp effects: Reverb (spring, level 2)

Tone character

tight, saturated crunch, massive low end, scooped midrange, aggressive, percussive attack, gut-rattling depth, razor-sharp treble edge, woolly, sustain-drenched chaos, modern nu-metal rhythm, low, extended range riffing, punchy, palm-muted chugs

Recording context

studio

How it’s played

straight, medium tempo, loud dynamics · high-gain distortion. This shapes how hard the amp is pushed and where the EQ sits for the It's On! sound.

Difficulty

3.5/5 · Riff

The riff requires tight, percussive palm muting and precise rhythm on a low-tuned 7-string, demanding good muting technique and right-hand control for clarity and punch.

Worth knowing

No direct numeric amp settings for 'It's On!' found in sources; settings estimated based on Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier typical usage for Korn's 1990s studio tones.
Pedal usage for the riff section is inferred from era-correct rig rundowns and audible tone; no explicit studio pedalboard photo for this song.
Some sources mention Boss MT-2 and DigiTech Metal Master in later live rigs, but for the studio recording, the core tone is widely attributed to the Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier with minimal pedal coloration.
Effects such as chorus, phaser, or delay are not audibly present in the main riff section; only minimal reverb is used.
If more precise amp settings or pedalboard photos from the 'It's On!' studio session surface, update accordingly.
Settings cross-referenced with genre and era conventions for accuracy. Korn's 'It's On!' features extremely high gain, tight low end, slightly scooped but not hollow mids, and a bright, aggressive top end typical of their late-90s 7-string tone. The tone is very dry with little to no reverb, matching the nu-metal production style and their Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier amp settings from that era.

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It's On! guitar tone — FAQ

What amp settings do I need for the It's On! guitar tone?

Set your amp to roughly: gain 9, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6.5, reverb 1. These are community-researched baselines — GuitarToneAdapt re-dials them for your exact guitar and amp.

What gear was used for the It's On! tone?

Original gear/effects: Guitar: Ibanez Universe UV7 (7-string, early 1990s model) · Amp: Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier Head into Mesa/Boogie Rectifier 4x12 Cabinet; distortion, reverb.

Can I get the It's On! tone on a different guitar or amp?

Yes. Different guitars and amps need different knob positions to sound the same. GuitarToneAdapt models pickup output and wood brightness, then compensates so you match the record on your own rig.

How do I sound like Korn on It's On! — what gear and pedals?

Start with Bridge pickup, the amp EQ above (gain 9, bass 6, mid 4.5, treble 6.5, presence 6.5, reverb 1), and distortion, reverb. Then let GuitarToneAdapt compensate for the guitar, amp and pedals you actually own so it sits like the record.

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Sources

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More like this

🎸 How to get Korn’s guitar tone → · 🎸 more Metal guitar tones → · 🎚️ Mesa Dual Rectifier settings → · 🎛️ best metal amp settings → · 🎸 more iconic guitar riffs → · 🎯 more scooped mids tones → · 📖 New to amp settings? What every knob does →

Settings are community-researched estimates, not official. GuitarToneAdapt adapts them to your gear. guitartoneadapt.com